Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Book Review: The False Princess, by Eilis O'Neal

Nalia is 17 years old and has been raised as a princess, and eventually she will be the queen. Her entire life is turned upside down when it is revealed that she was switched at birth with the real princess. There was a prophecy that someone would kill the princess before her 17th birthday, so it was decided to send the real princess away.

Nalia's real mother and father are dead, so she is sent to live with her aunt. In the country. Away from everything she has even known. Her adjustment to her new life is understandably difficult, and it isn't helped by the fact that Keirnan, her best friend, seems to have forgotten her.

Also, Nalia, now known as Sinda, has started to be able to do some magic. It seems her magic was suppressed as a child, so now it comes without warning and she cannot control it. She returns to the capital to see if she can join the school where they train wizards. Because Sinda isn't royalty and cannot pay, she is not admitted.

But an eccentric wizard agrees to train Sinda. She discovers there's more to the story about the real princess and reconnects with Keirnan as she risks life and limb to save her kingdom.

It takes a while for The False Princess to get going. It starts out with a bang, but then drags during the time Sinda is with her aunt. I didn't understand the need for so much detail during that part. But you will root for Sinda and for the potential romance between Sinda and Kiernan. And there is also a lot of danger to be faced. The False Princess is a nice mix of adventure, romance, and magic. I can recommend this story to a lot of teens, especially the younger ones.

1 comment:

I remember reading this one years ago. Although I don't remember much of the details anymore, I remember being so entertained by this book. It was an easy read and I definitely liked Nalia/Sinda. I'm glad you enjoyed this one as well, Annette!

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I'm a high school librarian. I live in a small, fairly rural town with my husband, and a dog who is very spoiled. I love to read. I read mostly YA, my favorite is historical fiction, but I mix in the occasional adult novel and even some non-fiction. I love to write about what I've read and chat with others about what they've read, so blogging is perfect! I've just moved into a brand new house so I'm spending a lot of time decorating. My other hobbies are cooking and sewing.

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Some of the books I review are Advanced Reader Copies (ARCs) which are provided by a publisher or author to get my honest opinion of the book. The books are free, I get to keep them, and that's the only compensation I get for the review. Here's the FTC Guidelines.